Perennials for Soggy Soil & Full Shade

Wild Ginger

• Wild ginger (Asarum canadensis) is a native plant in the northeastern sections of the United States. Featuring heart-shaped, dark green foliage, wild ginger grows only to 6 inches. This makes it an excellent ground cover, as it will spread out in an area by way of its rhizomatous root system. Wild ginger will grow in wet areas in the full shade, preferring to be in acidic soil, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden. Wild ginger's flowers actually develop close to, or on, the ground so crawling bugs may pollinate them.

Umbrella Plant

• You need to plant the umbrella plant (Darmera peltata) in a shady, soggy area where it will have room to expand. This herbaceous perennial can grow to 5 feet high. Native to the damp streams and riverbanks of the Pacific Coast States, umbrella plant has large leaves up to 2 feet in diameter, with their stems attached in their centers, making them look like umbrellas. The flowers develop on erect leafless stems, opening in the spring, notes Pacific Northwest Flowers. Umbrella plant will grow in full sunshine as long as you keep the ground constantly damp, but it requires much less maintenance when in full shade. Its root system helps stabilize the soil, and umbrella plant is a species you can raise in bog gardens.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

• One of the best features of the Jack-in-the--pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) is that it produces a red berry cluster in the middle of summer that will garner attention for its bright color. Jack-in-the-pulpit is a native perennial in much of the eastern two-thirds of North America, according to the "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Wildflowers: Eastern Region." It features a curving sheath called the spathe, which encompasses a spike, or spadix, of male and female flowers. The spathe represents the pulpit, and Jack is the spadix. While this plant thrives in soggy spots, it fares poorly in heavy clay soil. Jack-in-the-pulpit works well in woodland garden venues.

Solomon's Seal

• The starchy rhizomatous roots of the Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum) were part of the diet of Native Americans. This perennial will grow to 3 feet, preferring moist and shady conditions in which to develop. Native in southern and central portions of Canada and in much of the United Sates from New Mexico to Montana and eastward, Solomon's seal is part of woodland and native gardens. The flowers that emerge by April and May are greenish-white, with the berries they yield ripening by autumn. The leaves are as long as 4 inches and change to yellow in the fall.